Elliptical Anyone??

BlooEyez · 10-03-2007, 11:23 AM

OK so I just received my elliptical machine yesterday ... the hubby put it together for me last night and all I can say is .... man, that thing kicks my @$$! I can't last more than 2 minutes on it without my legs giving out on me, and gasping for breath

Has anyone else had this problem? ... Does it get easier? I'd hate to have wasted $700 on a machine I can't use :faint:

jmcambra · 10-03-2007, 11:42 AM

Do it for 2 minutes at a time a couple of times a day. Ellipticals are awesome. And it is really hard to start up on them. Just do as much as your body will allow, and go back to it after a short break. Repeat for as along as possible. You'll eventually work up to 3 minutes, then 4, then 20, then an hour...

Mrs Husker · 10-03-2007, 11:42 AM

I still can't go over a mile on mine. My legs start burning. My DH tell me "no pain, no gain". I tell him to kiss my a**. LOL

**Kat817** · 10-03-2007, 11:57 AM

I began using mine for 5 minutes at a time with no added resistance. I now do the pre set programs that vary the resistance up and down as if you were walking up a hill, and down. There are 5 presets lasting 20 minutes each, and 4 lasting 30 minutes each. I do at least one of those a night.

I listen to books on CD while I exercise---if I am involved in the story line, I pick a medium level of resistance, and ride it for awhile longer until I get to a stopping place in my book.

If I am on a plateau, I will sometimes do a program in the morning, then my usual in the evening as well.

I also do light free weights for upper body work out---upper body is my problem areas....the elliptical works out my heart as well as my legs!!!

Keep it up---you will master the machine!!!

Kat

MR123 · 10-03-2007, 02:36 PM

I love my ellitical my son and I use it three times a week and it is great. Give it time... soon you will see that you mad a good investment.

BlooEyez · 10-03-2007, 02:50 PM

Thank you all for your advice ... I'll keep working at it!

White06 · 10-03-2007, 02:54 PM

Your lucky you can do 2 minutes...ha ha ha
I can only go a little over a minute. Im glad Im not the only one. A friend of mine has lost a ton of weight on hers, so I think it will be great once I can work up to a reasonable amount of time on this thing.

badonkadonkbutt · 10-03-2007, 03:25 PM

your not alone! I also just bought one and it kicks my butt too, I hate to say it but I like that it makes me sweat (and feel like I am going to die) in a very short period of time......lol. I starting out with 5 minutes and am up to 12 at a time and have only been on it for a few weeks, it does get easier!

rharriet62 · 10-03-2007, 07:01 PM

When I first started working out about 4 mos before my surgery, I could only do the elliptical a minute or so. I would stop, catch my breath, and go again...did this over and over until I reached 10 mins, 20 mins, etc., total workout time. You will QUICKLY see that soon, you are going 5 mins before having to catch your breath. Then, it will be 45 mins straight thru and you never stopped at all!!! Keep going! You will kick its ass in time!!!

allaboutme · 10-03-2007, 07:10 PM

I hated this machine when I started. I would look at the clock and think It's only been 2 minutes. Oh My God! Now I am up to 30 minutes 3-4 times a week at the gym. It really makes me sweat and plus I need something to get my heart rate up. This really does it. I love it now....
Keep at it. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

:bandit

StrawberryGrl · 10-07-2007, 08:41 PM

I LOVE elipticals! They definitly do kick your butt though! Keep doing what you're doing Bloo. I would advice starting out on a very low resistant level and then working your way up. Personally I love that you can jump on them, set your weight, age, and time limite and just go! Afterwords it tells you exactly what your heart rate was, how many calories you burned and how far you went. I use one at the gym and have been told that doing the eliptical is very comparable to running, just easier on your knees. I also find that it helps when I listen to music and set my pace to the song.

Good Luck Bloo. I promise it will get easier with time!

soniacan · 10-07-2007, 09:57 PM

i know what your are feeling!!
i bought my elliptical maybe 3yrs ago and after it was assembled and i could barely do 2 minutes. the hubby was like What thats all you can do?? So i made him get on it. i think he lasted 30 seconds.
its been collecting lots of dust and i have thought about selling it but i used it tonight!! 10 minutes, off to breath and then back for 5. i need to get in gear so i am hoping if i can stick to this it will be awesome!
keep with it!

BaytownBert · 10-07-2007, 10:00 PM

Can I give an opinion on this? Please? There is no substitute for 5 cardio methods/exercises. I'm not knocking using a particular machine either.

Here are the five:

1. Climbing real stairs
2. Swimming
3. Walking
4. Running/Jogging
5. Cycling

Of these five, the two that will literally knock your socks off is running/jogging and real stair climbing. Nothing else will strain your body like these two will, for easy to do exercises.

Throw in a weight lifting program - either free weights or machines (plus diet) and you have what it will takes to be strong and healthy.

I have years of heavy athletic training in my background and as the years have went by, I finally let myself go. I plan to get back to something resembling what I looked like in 1975 and this is actually me at 23.

mcgreen · 10-07-2007, 10:03 PM

I agree with Bert that running/jogging and stairs are the biggest workouts but I love the eliptical- I think you can get a great workout with that machine- its easy on the joints and you can get your cardio/pulmonary status in great shape with weight loss before you try anything else.

I definitely burn more calories on the eliptical (per my body bugg) than I do walking - its hard for me to get my speed up walking before something hurts. The machine is great :)

congrats on your new machine and hang in there! Like everyone said - take it with baby steps and you will soon be 40+ minutes without huffing like the big bad wolf!

BaytownBert · 10-07-2007, 10:16 PM

Yes, indeed, McGreen, something I failed to mention that I have gained weight over my whole body and I have a history of heavy exercise, even when I weighed 270, I could still do a lot of heavy exercise. It was when my son was wounded in Iraq that I comforted myself with food and beer and got out of control, pushing 310.

My son recovered just fine, but I was stuck at a point of seemingly no return. That's when I decided to go with the LAP-BAND^®.

If a person does not have a history of heavy exercise, or they have joint and health related problems, then by all means go with low-impact mechanisms, or gently swimming and cycling until you can move onto something more rigorous.

I sometimes forget that a lot of us heavy eaters have led a life of indulgence with little to no exercise, but I am learning. Y'all work with me.
:faint: